The Serpent's Egg
by Nicolle
Summary: A diplomatic mission turns into a nightmare for Link and Zelda when the Gerudo invade a neighboring kingdom.
1. Chapter One

The Serpent's Egg

By Nicolle

1st Note: This story takes place in the future, as in, after all current canon games and other canon materials.

2nd Note: For all my "Army Life" Fans: I finally got around my writer's block and a Zelda fic was on the other side.

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. Thank you for letting the fans borrow your ideas.

Chapter One

Link pulled Zelda into a corner and covered her after the first explosion took out a chunk of the wall, saving both of them from being struck by debris from the second, which felled a balcony. Sir Stewart, handpicked for the bodyguard detail, bled from a head wound, but otherwise looked fine. He dashed through the panicked palace staff to Zelda.

Link pulled Zelda to her feet. "Where's Bot?" The knight shook his head. Link gave him Zelda's hand. "Get her to the stables and off the palace grounds. I'm going to find Bot."

Zelda caught his wrist. "Track down Princess Elana. We need to get her out of this."

Link nodded and ran in the direction of the toppled throne. Jumping onto the dais, he spotted Bot behind the throne. The knight's armor was badly dented, but Princess Elana, who huddled underneath him, looked safe, if dirty.

Link knelt next to him. "Can you stand?"

"I'm pretty sure my leg is broken."

Link pulled a potion from his belt pouch. "Here." Bot downed it in a gulp. "Better?"

The knight nodded. "Where's the Queen?"

"With Stew. And with any luck, already far from here." Link held out his hand to the Princess. "Your Highness, it's best we quit the palace."

Princess Elana offered a trembling hand and Link pulled her quickly onto his back. He turned to find the mean end of a sword leveled at his chest.

The brown eyes of the man holding it were calm, collected, and unbending. "I've no quarrel with you, Hylian, but you will leave the princess."

"Does her death follow my leaving her?"

"Yes."

Link hefted the princess, adjusting where she lay across his back, while stealing a quick look at Bot. "I admit, Her Highness is annoying, but death seems a bit too final a punishment."

"Again, Hylian, leave her."

"How unfortunate for you. My Queen has ordered otherwise." Link dodged to the left and Bot shot forward, slicing into the man underneath the ribs, spilling intestines on the throne room floor. Link ran for the hole in the wall, followed closely by Bot. Jumping over the wreckage, he came up short next to his horse. He tossed the princess across the saddle, while Bot mounted his horse. "Remind me to tell Zelda I love her."

Bot smiled wide. "Triforce of Wisdom all the way!" He pulled his horse around and urged it toward the palace gates. The twang of a bow caught Link's ear and he quickly covered the princess. Nothing struck him. He looked up, and watched Bot fall from his horse, an arrow jutting out of his side.

"Bot!"

"It was a bad shot!" He grimaced as he pulled the arrow out. "Get her out of here! I'll be fine!" He scrambled unto his horse, blood leaking down his side.

Link nodded and rode through the gate. The streets of the city were in chaos. Street carts were overturned, the public running for safety and not knowing which way to go. Among all the panic, Link spotted an overly relaxed, black clothed man leaning against a wall next to an empty alley. He gave the Hero of Light a mock salute as Link directed his horse down the alley. The sudden stillness of the shadows gave him a moment to pause. He dismounted and helped the princess down.

He pulled off the armor marking him as Hyrule's Captain, stripping down to his green tunic, white leggings, and boots. He stuffed the armor into a bag on the saddle. "Quickly! Toss your jewels and royal insignia in the bag."

"What? How dare you!"

"There are men looking to end your life. I need to get you out of here safely. I can't do that if you look like a princess."

Elana huffed, folded her arms over her chest, and turned up her nose. "I refuse. I am no commoner."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Hard way it is then." He drew his knife and knocked her over the head with the hilt. She hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"I bet that felt good. Annoying little pest."

Link waved the man behind him off. "That's enough."

"For her? Please."

Link spun around and grabbed the man by the front of his black tunic. "I appreciate the help, but feel free to back off." He smiled and held up both hands in mock surrender. Link let him go. He gently stripped the princess of her crown, necklace, and insignia. "Help me get her on the saddle behind me." Link climbed back up on his horse and grabbed the princess's arms as the man lifted her into the saddle. He tied her wrists together with a bit of rope.

The man grabbed his arm. "You'll need help with this one."

Link looked down at him. "Do I ever do anything totally alone?"

He stepped back. "You were alone every time you faced me."

"Different." He looked toward the street. "What do you want in exchange?"

"My Queen," he breathed, eyes heavy lidded with the intoxication of the prospect.

"That's not a deal I can make."

"Then I'll ask her."

Link pulled the horse around. "You do that." He kicked his heals into the horse and urged it back into the chaos. With royal garb hidden and his ears stuffed in his cap, Link passed through the crowds and out the unmanned gate. The bodies of the city guard littered the streets and citizens in blood stained clothes were either running or hiding. Going off the main road, he followed a barely visible path into the woods beyond the farms ringing the city. An empty grove opened up in the woods. The familiar press of magic caressed his face. He looked at the trees around him and spotted a single triangle carved into one.

He unbuckled the armor on his left arm and pulled off the long glove, revealing the Triforce birthmark. He pressed his bare hand to the triangle and the enchantment snapped. In the grove, Zelda and Stewart knelt over a badly injured Drishti. The knight was coughing blood.

"Stew!" Stewart looked up in time to catch the potion.

Link untied the princess and wrapped an arm around her as he dismounted. He laid her on the ground before rushing over. "Where's Bot?"

Stewart shook his head. Link turned and Zelda grabbed his hand.

"Bot can look after himself. He'll catch up to us."

"He took an arrow in the gut."

Zelda pulled him down to sit next to her. "He's also a doctor. He'll be all right. We need to get Elana to safety and Drishti to shelter." Her eyes slid to the trees for a moment and then back to him. "Is Elana injured?"

"No, just knocked out."

Drishti's hand shot up and grabbed the front of Link's tunic. He caught himself before he fell into the knight's chest. "It... was the... Gerudo... Tell... Elise... love her..."

"No! Drishti!" Link reached out. "Potion! Quick!" A silvery liquid filled Drishti's mouth and poured out the side.

Zelda took Link's hand. "There's no potion to fix this." She bowed her head, eyes squeezed shut as tears ran down her cheeks. Link put his arms around her and pulled her close.

Stewart looked up. "It's not fair. The sun is shining. Not a cloud in the sky." He stretched his arms out and lay his head on his friend's still chest.

Elana's moan broke the silence. She sat up, rubbing the back of her head, and then screamed. Jumping to her feet, she rushed Link. "What did you do with my jewels?"

Zelda held up a hand and Elana slammed into a force field, falling back on her ass. Link gently wiped a stray tear from the Queen's cheek. He stood and walked through Zelda's spell. "Your things are safe."

"And you just let me lie on the bare ground? Just what kind of girl do you think I am? I am a princess and I won't be treated like common trash! Now apologize, peasant!"

Link leaned over and picked her up by the front of her dress, setting her on her feet, before slapping her across the face. "Never have I been subjected to such a dishonorable, undignified, and wholly miserable display by anyone who called themselves royalty. A princess lives for her people and right now your people are dying on the altar of your childishness. The only reason you live right now is because one of my men took several blows meant for you. Right now, he's missing and another is dead. You will be respectful or you will be silent, understood?"

Elana backed away, hand held to her face.

He turned to Zelda and Stewart. "We'll take Drishti home." He looked over his shoulder at Elana. "And then we'll find out why Ganon wants you dead."


	2. Chapter Two

The Serpent's Egg

By Nicolle

1st Note: As I've been editing the chapters already written (and yes, I'm way ahead of where I'm posting), I've decided that what I'm writing doesn't merit the M rating. It's just not any more violent than Harry Potter.

2nd Note: The cheese thing is something I said to one of my coworkers.

3rd Note: If you recognize the 'standing and waiting' line, you're a real Zelda geek.

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo.

Chapter Two

This was, above all else, the one thing Link absolutely despised doing. It was one thing to die in a time of war. There was an expectation of danger, an understanding that loved ones might come home on their shields. But this was a time of peace and no amount of honors heaped upon the dead will return the spirit. There were no words you could offer the bereaved.

Elise stood trembling, mouthing the word no over and over. Zelda, wearing a gown reserved solely for this purpose, gently took her hands. Link rested Drishti's sword, wrapped in Hyrule's flag across them. Elise dropped the sword and hugged Zelda around the waist. Zelda wrapped her arms around Elise, smoothing down her hair and cooing to her softly.

Princess Elana gave an audible gasp from where she stood next to Sir Stewart. Link shot her a look and she turned up her nose. A tug on his hand distracted him and he found Drishti's little Utta looking at up at him, distressed. He picked up the three year old.

"Why is mommy so sad?"

"Because your father has gone to his ancestors."

She frowned. "But isn't that a good thing?"

He smiled thinly. "Yes. But it also means you will not see him again for the rest of your years."

Utta laid her head down on his shoulder, running her little hand up and down his arm the way children did when they wanted you to feel better too. Elise let go of Zelda and carefully wiped her face with the edge of her sleeve. She looked to Link, red eyed and bone weary.

"Did you bring him home?"

"Yes."

"Did he say anything?"

"He told me to tell you he loves you."

Elise covered her face with her hands and took two deep, shuddering breaths. She reached out for her daughter and Link handed her the child. "I'll come by the castle this evening to..." She faltered and Link put an arm around her to steady her. "Discuss arrangements. I need to see his mother. Tell her." Her head dropped and she stared at the ground, hugging Utta fiercely. Link let her go and she turned away.

Stewart knelt down and lifted the sword. "Give me leave."

Link nodded. "Granted."

Stewart put an arm around Elise and led her into the house. "I'll walk you over by way of my house so Utta can play with the girls. We'll pack a bag for her."

Link and Zelda turned as one and walked back to the castle, guard detail keeping pace with Elana between them. The citizenry on streets stopped mid bow, cold at the appearance of their Queen in black.

"Who? Who?" the question was whispered from all sides, though some simply wept where they stood.

Mournful tones pealed from the temple bells when Zelda closed the door to her private room.

"And what exactly," Elena started, "is wrong with your people? Don't they know how to bow? And you just let that woman blubber all over your dress? How could you let her touch you?"

Zelda said nothing as she changed into less formal mourning attire. The Queen put the dress in the arms of the maid who waited there, already clad in black, hair tied with black ribbons. There was a knock at the door and it opened slightly.

"Ramanjani is here to see you, Madam."

Zelda poured herself a cup of water from a pitcher. "Send him in."

A rotund old man came through the door, pushing a shocked Elana aside as he pulled the chair from Zelda's desk and sat in it.

"How dare you push me out of the way? Do you know who I am? I'm Princess Elana of Zoebha! Apologize!"

Ramanjani eyed the princess. "Quiet, punk!" He settled comfortably into the chair. "I've called all the assistants and apprentices to the bakery. You'll have all the bread you'll need for the feast. Sally has the pastry shop running all night for the cake, and she'll be over soon to speak to the family."

Zelda smiled a little. "You have my deepest gratitude, Ramanjani."

He smiled then. "See? There's my little Zelda!" He stood and took her hands in his. "But I would do anything to put a smile on your face. I brought some of your favorite rolls for your dinner tonight. Be sure to share with that boy of yours." He patted her hand.

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"Anything."

"I need leaf bread and rations. Enough for three- No, four people. A month's worth."

"Consider it done. I'll leave it with Link tomorrow." He sighed heavily. "Be safe, Zelda." He looked over his shoulder at the maid who was carefully hanging the funeral gown. "It pains us to see you in that dress. I don't want to see you buried in it."

Zelda nodded and the old man left. Elana opened her mouth and Zelda raised a hand to silence her. "Dinner tonight will be spent planning a funeral. You will respect the dignity of the mourning family. That means you will keep silent if you have nothing other than condolences to offer."

Elana turned up her nose. "Funeral arrangements at dinner? How positively disgusting."

"If you will not join us at the table, you are free to dine in the kitchen."

Her jaw dropped. "With the staff?"

"This evening will be far too long as it is. Your poor attitude will not make it easier. You will sit in silence at the table or you will eat in the kitchen."

She put her hands on her hips. "Then I won't eat at all!"

"So be it."

Another knock came at the door and it opened slightly. "Madam? The body has been prepared. We await you in the hall."

"Thank you."

"In the hall?" Elana looked from the door to Zelda. "A peasant is to lie in state?"

"Any man who gives his life for Hyrule is honored with a funeral befitting his sacrifice." Zelda stepped up to the princess pinning the girl with a cold gaze. "He will lie in state, so his countrymen will have the opportunity to thank him for what he gave them."

Elana swallowed hard.

Zelda turned to the maid. "Christie, escort Elana to her room."

The maid nodded and curtseyed to the princess. "If it please your highness to follow me."

Elana sneered at the girl. "It doesn't please me to follow you."

The maid gave Zelda a worried glance.

"You have permission to drag her out."

Christie sighed. "Oh, thank you, Ma'am!" She grabbed Elana by the wrist and pulled her out the door.

Zelda headed into the hall and stopped short on the threshold. Link stood over Drishti, carefully tucking a blanket embroidered with the royal insignia of Hyrule around his legs. Elise stood next to her beloved husband, holding his hand. Zelda took a deep breath and stepped into the hall. She put her hand on Elise's shoulder. "Let's retire to the dining room."

"I beg your pardon, Ma'am, but I don't know that I can eat."

"I don't think any of us can, but we should still make the effort."

The effort proved easy after the first bite. A few stories of heroic daring and idiotic bungles on the part of the deceased and even Zelda found her smile again.

Link gestured to Elise. "And then he screamed at the top of his lungs: 'CHEESE IS GOOD FOR YOU AND DON'T EVER BLASPHEME AGAIN!'"

Elise giggled uncontrollably. Stewart banged his head off the table.

Link pointed to Sir Chaco. "Remember the first time he challenged you to a full out duel?"

"Oh yeah!" Chaco laughed, "Not The Face! Not The Face!"

Stewart put on his best impression of Drishti. "It's my bread and butter, man! I can't have you messing with my bread and butter."

Zelda snorted hard enough wine came out her nose. "Oh damn."

"Well done, Majesty! Very dignified!" Chaco joked while passing her a napkin.

Zelda swiped it out of his hand to wipe her face. "Thank you, Sir Knight."

"Anytime, Ma'am."

She wiped her nose with a growing dread of being the one to cut the stories short and broach the funeral. But Elise beat her to it.

"I'd like it very much if you would be in the reception line with me tomorrow, Your Majesty."

Zelda nodded.

Elise took Link's hand and reached across the table to grab Stewart's. "And I would be honored if you would both be in the line as well." She dropped Link's hand and clasped Stewart's with both of her own. "Thank you for asking Maggie to look after Utta."

Stewart patted her hand. "Maggie was more than happy to help."

She turned back to Link. "Would you give the eulogy and benediction?"

"I'm not half so eloquent as I act, Elise. Are you sure?"

"Drishti became the good man he was by following your example. I have no doubt that your heart and lips hold all the words needed to honor my husband."

"Then your wish is my command."

The royal steward put a plan of the hall in front of Elise as the kitchen staff cleared away the plates and the planning commenced.

Morning found Zelda standing next to Link in the receiving line. Link leaned close. "You haven't said his name yet."

Zelda took his hand and squeezed it. "Don't make me. Not before I have too." Link waited patiently for her to continue. He was always standing and waiting. "He took that blow for me," she whispered. "And I couldn't save him from the poison that tainted his blood."

Link squeezed her hand. "Did you try?"

"Yes."

"Then Drishti gets the honor of telling his ancestors that the legendary Queen, keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom, blessed him with her devotion."

Zelda's mouth twitched. "What was that you told Elise about not being eloquent?"

He held up his hands in surrender. "I'm still just a farm boy, Zelda."

"You're in good spirits."

"Actually, I'm in a very foul mood. There's still no word from Bot and I'm standing next to the body of a good friend."

Zelda swallowed. "Bot will be fine." She sighed. "We leave tomorrow evening. Elana is coming with us."

"At least she was smart enough to stay out of the funeral."

Zelda caught an uncharacteristic flash of color amongst the black. "Don't get your hopes up."

Link motioned one of his men over. "Permission to use ether granted. Just get Princess Elana out of her quietly."

The knight frowned. "Is she that bad, Captain?"

"Worse."

"Consider it done, Sir."


	3. Chapter Three

The Serpent's Egg

By Nicolle

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo.

Chapter Three

"Let me get this straight. You want me to sleep on the ground."

Link busied himself with the camp fire while Zelda cast protection spells around the perimeter. "We can't have someone recognize you and alert Ganon. Stopping at an inn is just asking for trouble."

She huffed and sat down on a log. "Well, at least I'm among royalty."

Zelda chuckled.

"What?"

Link hung a pot from a spit over the fire. "I'm not royalty. I'm a farm boy. Dairy farmer specifically. I grew up milking cows. Even married to Zelda, I would never ascend the throne."

"But, you're the Hero of Time! How can you be anything other than royalty?"

"Farore chose a farm boy to be her champion and whatever her reasons for that choice, I have spent every lifetime in service of the gift I did nothing to deserve." Link looked up at the cloudless sky. "I can't remember a lifetime where I wasn't any more than a child of the land."

"Once you came from the sky." Zelda sat down next to Link.

He let out a breath. "So I did!" He clapped his hands together with a smile. "Who's making dinner?"

"What will you make if you cook?"

"Vegetable stew."

"Ooh. You get dinner, I'll get breakfast."

"You both cook?"

They both stared at her for a moment before Link looked back at Zelda. "I just keep telling myself that when this is over, I get my birthday present early."

Zelda rolled her eyes.

Elana woke with a start in the darkness. She sat up, looking for Link and Zelda in the darkness. All she saw was one sleeping blanket obviously shared by two.

"So Zelda and Link are lovers!" she whispered excitedly. Crawling closer she saw Zelda's head peeking out of the blanket, but instead of Link, a large wolf lay next to her. It's ears perked up and the wolf eyed her for a moment before going back to sleep. Zelda's hand slipped through the fur as she rolled closer to the wolf.

Elana whipped around at a twig snap. A pair of glowing red eyes watched her from the darkness. Breathing shallow, she stepped back and only managed a pathetic squeak when a hand dropped on her shoulder. She stood there, eyes squeezed shut and trembling.

"Go back to sleep, Elana," Link whispered.

Elana opened her eyes. The red in the trees had disappeared and when she turned around, Link wasn't standing there. She dropped to her blanket, wrapped herself up tightly, and pulled the blanket over her head. She woke up to the smell of meat over the fire. Zelda was cutting a choice piece from the spit.

"Ooh, I want that one!"

Zelda shook her head and stood, taking the plate to the nearest tree. Leaning against it was a man wearing a black version of Link's clothing. Zelda offered him the plate. He turned to her to take it, revealing a familiar face and eyes like rubies.

Elana gasped.

Link sat down in front of the fire and cut a piece of meat from the spit. "If your mouth stays open like that, you'll have no problem catching breakfast."

"Who- who is that? He looks like you!"

Link sat down with his plate. "Him?" He looked up and both Links locked gazes for a moment before both returned to breakfast. "He's me."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. He is me. I am him."

"So he's your twin brother?"

The red eyes of the other slid toward them. "I am the physical manifestation of his anger, fear, hate, cruelty, malevolence, and bloodlust. I was drawn from his very soul by Nayru."

"He is the perfect test of Farore's faith in me." They locked eyes again. "And I always win."

Elana looked back and forth between the two. She pointed to the other. "So what happens if you win?"

Red eyes settled on her. "My Queen will come to rule and the Triforce of Power will leave Ganon to rest with her."

Elana shook from the strange elation in the other's voice. "And then what happens?"

"True darkness falls." Link put down his plate and stood. "We need to get moving."

Link and Zelda held back watching Elana's horse mosey ahead of them.

"Is it just me, or is it weird that she hasn't mentioned her parents? We saved her from the palace, but King Holcombe and Queen Lavinia were not in the throne room when the first explosion happened."

Zelda mused over it for a moment. "She's a selfish little brat, but that's too big to be uncaring about. She's blocking it."

"I really hope you're right."

"Am I ever wrong?"

Link suddenly looked puzzled. "Do you hear that?" He pulled his horse to a stop. "Elana! Stop!" He dismounted and looked as if his suspicions were confirmed. "The ground is frozen."

"It's summer."

"Exactly." He climbed the nearest tree, head popping from the top branches. "A little further down the way, the leaves are changing. The closer it gets to the city, the more lifeless it looks." He climbed down. "Something's really wrong."

Elana pulled her horse over, looking worried. "Is it something Ganon did?"

"No. I get the feeling that this was an unintended consequence of something else."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Link huffed. "I've been fighting the same foe for hundreds of years, Zelda. I know how old Pig Face works. Whatever this is, it's not what he was going for."

"I can find out for certain."

Link ignored the other as he mounted. "You do that."

"I would greatly appreciate it," Zelda said.

The other smiled and it was suddenly as if he was never sitting in the tree, a shadow from another branch making what appeared to be his form. The cry of a child got their attention and Link rode ahead. He stopped next to a house off the side of the road. The child's cries came from inside.

He pushed open the door and stepped back covering his mouth. Cursing under his breath, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and covered his nose before stepping inside. A young woman lay several days dead on the floor. A man no older than Link sat in a chair ignoring the child begging for food at his feet. Link examined the woman. There were several bite marks and slashes on her. She'd run from whatever was attacking her but died of her injuries on the floor.

The man acknowledged Link when he picked up the little girl. "Thank the Goddesses! I thought no one would ever come for the brat."

"Your wife is dead."

"And? She's the one who gave birth to the brat, she can feed it."

Link grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him up. "Why didn't you help her? She wouldn't be dead if you'd cared for her wounds."

"The sooner I was rid of her, the sooner I got my life back."

Link dropped him and walked out with the child screaming on his shoulder. "Zelda! I need a piece of leaf bread."

Zelda dismounted and rummaged through her saddle bag. "What's going on in there?"

"You don't want to know." He pulled a cup from his bag and poured some water in it. "The child will have to come with us." He took the leaf bread and put it in the cup, shaking it a bit to dissolve it faster. He carefully held the cup so the girl didn't drink too much too fast.

Elana covered her nose. "What's that smell?"

"That would be the dead body." Link sighed. "Something attacked this child's mother. We'll need to be on the lookout for it."

The girl finished the cup and sat there looking tired and miserable.

"What's your name?"

"Annie." She sniffed. "Are you going to take me to the goblin's lair?"

"No."

She rubbed her eyes with her fists and laid her head down on his shoulder. "Will mommy ever wake up?"

Link patted her on the head. "Not here."

The girl slept in a sling tied to Link's back as they headed through trees in gold and red to trees that were simply black and dead. Outside the city, they waited for the other Link.

"You picked up a stray."

Zelda dismounted. "What did you find out?"

"Apparently, Elana is important after all." He grew serious at Zelda's frown. "The royal line of Zoebha was started by Eriendal Zoebha hundreds of years ago when he staked himself to the ground and literally became one with it. Each descendant of Eriendal is blood tied to the land. So long as a descendant is on the throne, the land thrives."

Elana's shoulders sagged.

"When no one sits on the throne, you get this." The other gestured to the trees around him. "And here's an interesting tidbit for you: the attitude of the person who's supposed to be on that throne dictates the ways of the people."

Link and Zelda both looked at Elana. She wasn't there.

"The tracks are heading that way. I'll follow her," Link said.

Zelda turned back to the other. "How do we stop this?"

"Find the Egg of Lanayru. With it Elana will be able to heal the land once she attains the throne." He leaned against the nearest tree. "And I was right about Ganon. This," he gestured to the trees, "severely hampers his plans."

Zelda frowned again and looked around. "He's not back yet."

"Probably because he wandered into a trap."

Zelda jumped onto her mount's saddle. The other grabbed the reins. "Instead of following them, go to Lanayru Province and find the Egg. I'll be fine."

Zelda watched the trees for a moment before wheeling the horse around dashing off to the Lanayru's Shrine. And when she got there, Sheik's feet hit the temple floor.


	4. Chapter Four

The Serpent's Egg  
By Nicolle

1st Note: All the names of extraneous characters for this fic are randomly selected from the latest issue of Yoga Journal.

2nd Note: Since everyone has their own fav version of Dark Link, I've decided against describing which one it is exactly. Fill in your favorite.

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda belongs to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. Thank you for letting your fans borrow them.

Chapter Four

Elana clutched the horse' reins as it darted through the trees. The thing in the air was faster than the horse, but the forest slowed it down. She screamed when a claw slashed her back.

"HELP!"

The pound of hooves answered her and she caught a glimpse of Link through the trees. Even with Annie on his back, he had no trouble drawing his bow and knocking the monster out of the sky. As soon as it hit the ground, Link rounded about and trampled it.

He stayed long enough to be sure it was dead before heading back to Elana. Her body draped over her horse's neck. Half unconscious, she breathed heavily. Link examined the wound on her back. It was deep and he could see the white of bone. Digging through his saddle bag, he found a potion and carefully tipped a bit down her throat. The healing gently closed the worst of the wound.

He pulled her down and laid her on the forest floor. Annie's head popped over his shoulder, watching him prep a needle and thread.

"This is going to hurt."

Elana whimpered while he sewed up her back and carefully badged the stitches. Helping her sit up, he gave her peppermint from his pouch.

"Chew on this. It will numb the pain."

Annie tugged on his hair.

"I'm hungry."

He smiled. "Me too." He pulled out a piece of leaf bread and broke it into four pieces, throwing the fourth piece into a shadow. A hand reached out of the darkness to catch the bread. "Where is she?"

"Looking for the Egg." The other took a bite of the leaf bread and chewed slowly.

"Anything to add to that?"

He gestured to Elana. "Keep her alive."

"I got that part from your last visit."

Annie ran up to the other, staring at the red eyes. He patted her on the head. "Don't wander off. There are undead in these woods."

"Undead?" Link cursed softly. "We need to find shelter before dark." He stood and brushed off his hands. "Come on, Annie, back in the sling."

She nodded and stopped, looking at the ground. Little tufts of green grass sprouted from the dead ground. Link followed them in a line to where Elana sat. Watching the princess, he slung Annie to his back. He offered her a hand. "Time to go."

She looked up, still in shock from the pain. She took his hand and grimaced when she stood. A few drops of blood slipped from the bandage and hit the ground. Grass sprouted. Making a mental note, Link helped her onto her horse and took the reins.

Night fell too fast. The moon rose high over the dead trees. Link could hear the shuffling. He detoured his horse toward the city, hoping to get to the farms ringing Zoebha's capital.

"What happened to protecting her identity?" the other whispered through the shadows.

"We need shelter first. Keep Elana in her saddle!" Only after his horse started galloping did Link hear the other's laugh. He turned to see Elana gone from her horse. Annie gripped his tunic harder as the undead started moving faster. "What did you do with her?"

"Maybe I put her somewhere safe."

"I doubt that." They burst into a clearing and a farm house appeared in the middle of the field, cold and dark. Link headed toward it, passing through a gate, and by a statue of the goddess Farore. He pulled up short and ripped his left glove off. He put his hand to the statue and the Triforce symbol on his hand glowed. An array of light burst forth from the statue, skewering the woods. The screams of the undead followed and then silence.

"Wow."

Link smiled at Annie. "Cool, huh?"

"Yeah!"

"Let's find Elana."

"Okay!"

If there was one thing Link knew, it was himself. The other was attempting to speed up the process, impatient for his once in a lifetime chance. But he couldn't choose the test or force the time. That belonged to Nayru alone. And just as he knew himself, he knew where the other would put Elana. He headed to the farm house.

"Annie, I need you to stay here on the porch. Hide behind the tarps and barrels."

The girl nodded as Link let her out of the sling. He patted her on the head.

"I'll be right back. Stay as quiet as you can."

Annie huddled down and hugged her knees. Link tried the door and it swung open slowly.

"Now where is Elana?"

Elana didn't know where she was. The room was dark and underground by the ever present smell of dirt. Her back ached, but no matter how much potion she drank, it refused to heal any further than it already had. She could hear something moving in the darkness and she was pretty sure it wasn't the other. The other didn't make noise. Even when he spoke, it didn't sound like he drew breath.

She crept toward the only light she saw, slipping through the cracks of wooden planks above her. Reaching a ladder, she shot up it as fast as she could. Something grabbed her ankle and she screamed. The trapdoor to the dirt cellar burst open and Link jumped through. The thing in the dark dragged her through the mud, away from the opening.

The very real presence of an awfully big mouth breathed down her back. Digging into the mud, Elana attempted to drag herself forward to no avail. An arrow aflame struck the monster and its grip on her slackened. She scrambled to her feet and froze mid-stride at the empty sling.

Link drew his sword and stood ready. "What are you waiting for? Run!"

"Where's Annie?"

For a heartbeat, Link's equilibrium died. "Hidden on the porch. Go!"

Elana ran for it. He turned his attention fully to the monster. It the fading light from the arrow, he saw eight tentacles, a gaping maw of razor teeth, and one large red eye. As darkness fell, he leapt to the right and ran for the reflected light from the eye. He ducked the tentacle that swiped at him and jumped, bringing his sword down through the eye and into to the brain.

Soaked in monster goop, he pulled his sword free and flicked the monster guts from the blade. He headed back to the ladder and climbed. The door to the porch was open, but neither Elana nor Annie where anywhere to be found. Muddy foot prints led from the porch to a house a field away.

Link whistled for his horse and it followed him as he ran for the next house. A light shone from a second story window. He entered the house carefully and found Elana and Annie huddling, cornered by a zombie. Elana covered Annie with her body, revealing a reopened wound. Before Link could stop it, the zombie touched Elana's back and turned to ash where it stood.

Link stood slack jawed as someone crept down the stairs.

"Who's there?"

Link turned. "Bot!"

Bot set the candle down on the table. "Captain, you've looked better."

"You're telling me." He sighed. "I hope Zelda's all right."

Sheik hurried through the temple to Lanayru's chamber. The serpent's head rose from the mist.

"Queen of Destiny, what you seek is not here."

"I saw dead Gerudo in the shrine. Has Ganon taken it?"

"The Egg still eludes the Enemy."

Sheik sighed in relief. "Has he left the shrine?"

"Yes."

"Where is the Egg?"

"Deep beneath the waters of Lake Zuron beyond the Crystal Mountains of Zoebha lies the Egg. But only the princess can retrieve it and she must first turn blue."

"She needs to drown?"

"Princess Elana must be one with the water and it will only be one of many little deaths."

"Wow. All right." Sheik sighed and bowed to Lanayru. "Thank you."

"Good Luck," she whispered as she descended into the depths.


	5. Chapter Five

The Serpent's Egg

By Nicolle

1st Note:

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda belongs to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. Thank you for letting your fans borrow them.

Chapter Five

Link stood at the edge of the property, hands folded in prayer.

Annie pulled on Bot's tunic. "What's he doing?"

"He's asking Farore to protect us."

Elana sighed. "He can ask favors of the goddesses? Just like that?"

"He isn't asking for himself. He's asking for us."

A shimmer so soft it almost wasn't there surrounded the house. A circle of silver glinted at them from the ground. Link sighed and came back. "All right. Bath time."

Link sat at the table, drying his hair with a towel. The sound of the girls laughing and splashing in the tub escaped from under the door.

Bot leaned across the table. "Is it just me, or is the princess acting weird?"

"This is weird. When I asked Elana why they left the porch, she said that she saw your candle light. Annie said that zombie had come up to the porch and Elana had shoved it away, grabbed her, and ran."

"The wound on her back is weird too."

Link sighed. "Potions won't close it and when her blood hits the ground it revives the land."

"Seriously?"

Link nodded.

"Now I really want a look at that wound."

Annie tottered out of the bathroom, trying not to trip over Link's tunic, with a towel over her head.

Link laughed. "You need a belt!" He dug through his bag and pulled out a sash. "Here you go." He folded the tunic up a little and tied it at her waist. "Are you hungry?"

Annie shook her head. "Tired." She climbed into a chair and the table and put her head down.

Link patted her head. "Why don't you head up stairs and find a bed?"

She shook her head vehemently, frowning hard.

"Okay."

Elana came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and looked at Bot. "What should I do?"

He stood and turned his chair around. "Sit here and lean forward against the chair."

Elana sighed and sat down. Bot pulled the bandages away to look at the wound. "Nice. These stitches won't scar much at all."

Link took a sip of tea from his mug. "Learned from the best."

Bot grinned wide and continued his inspection.

Link picked up a sleeping Annie. "Which room should I put her in?"

Bot gently wrapped Elana's wound. "First one at the top of the stairs."

"How does a doctor become a knight, or is it the other way around?" Elana asked.

Bot smiled to himself. "My father and his father and his father were doctors, so I became one too. But I always wanted to be a knight. I told anyone who would listen. And they always told me I was too scrawny." He pulled the bandage tight and tied it off. "When I was sixteen I left home. I went right up to the castle and told the gates-man I wanted to be a knight. He pointed at one of the scrawniest men I'd ever seen and told me to talk to him. So I went right up to him and said I wanted to be a knight." Bot laughed. "Link, the Hero of Time, turned around and asked me what I was by training. When I told him I was a doctor, he praised the goddesses. Apparently, he needed a medic."

"Did you go back to tell everyone off?"

"I really wanted to at first, but that feeling waned. I learned very quickly that Link didn't want the strongest fighters. He wanted the wisest. He wanted people who loved Hyrule and were committed to her defense. After a while, the need for personal glory left me and when I went home to visit, I never spoke of it."

"And no one asked?"

"They didn't have too. When you spend that much time around the Triforce, it changes you. Through the constant example, I had become the person I was born to be."

"But I thought the Triforce of Courage made you more courageous. You talk like it doesn't do that at all."

"The Triforce of Courage does not make you a man or woman of greatness," Link said as he sat down at the table. "The Triforce of Courage does not fill me with great valor, but instead fills me with great love. And it is this great love that gives me the courage to choose what is right rather than what is easy."

Elana stared down at the table.

Bot put a cup of tea in front of her. "Go upstairs and find a bed. Drink this before you lay down and it will dull the pain so you can sleep."

She nodded and left, mug in hand.

"Well?"

Bot went over to the sink and washed his hands. "The wound isn't going to heal until she does."

"Meaning?"

"A couple stitches from the bottom have healed over, I'm betting it happened when she pushed the zombie off the porch to save Annie. While we were talking about the Triforce, the wound closed a little more."

"So, what? 20 years and she might have a whole back?"

Bot sighed. "A little bit of progress is some. But I'm wondering about Annie."

"Oh?"

"I've seen the way the people here have been acting since Ganon invaded. The moment the king died, the people either fled for Hyrule proper or..."

"Went mad," Link finished. "Annie's mother was dead and her father wasn't right."

"So why isn't she affected?"

Link looked up the stairs at the first door, slightly ajar. "It might be because she's too young. She can't be more than five."

"It might also be the Triforce. She's being very brave in the face of danger."

"It might also be Elana." Link toyed with the mug in his hands. "It'll be something for Zelda to ponder when I run into her again."

"Is that how these things go with the two of you? You get separated and then you just run into each other later?"

"Pretty much. Let me see your side."

Bot rolled his eyes. "Potions still work on me, Captain."

Link frowned.

"What?"

"A potion didn't work for Drishti."

Bot stilled. "What happened?"

"He took a poisoned bolt. When we gave him a potion, it accelerated the poison. It looked like he was filling with mercury."

Bot put his head down on the table. He took a long shuddering breath and sat up. "I guess I need to figure out what would change a potion into death."

Link nodded.

He shuddered again. "I'm hitting the hay. Maybe we'll wake up to Zelda and some steak and eggs."

Sheik watched the shimmer in the sky. Following it, led to a farm house with a soft light glowing from the kitchen window. The shimmer formed a curtain circling the house, almost invisible. Sheik touched it and it felt like touching the very heart of life itself; a perfect barrier against the undead roaming the woods.

Sheik stepped through and walked to the porch. The wolf sleeping there perked up and wagged it's tail, following the Sheikah into the house. Bot slouched comfortably in a chair, fast asleep. Sighing in relief, Sheik put a hand on his shoulder.

"I swear I'm not sleeping on duty, Ma'am," he mumbled.

Smiling behind the high collar, Sheik glided up the stairs quietly. A quick glimpse through the open door at the top revealed Annie and Elana curled up together like two sisters.

"Strange, huh? Long time, no see, Sheik."

Sheik turned and Link reached up, pulling the collar down. The Triforce symbol on his hand flared for a moment and the spell was broken.

"You'll have to pardon me, but I like you better with blue eyes." He pulled Zelda close and kissed her. As she reached up and put her arms around his neck, Link lifted her across the threshold of the empty bedroom on the right.

"You know, I'm really thankful you two got a room, but next time, close the door."

Link kicked the door shut. "Thank you for your input, Bot."

"I better get steak and eggs in the morning!"

"And I better get my birthday present early."

Zelda yanked on his hair. "You aren't getting anything until there's a sword sticking out of Ganon's chest."

Link huffed. "You don't need to be so bossy, Tetra."

"Oh, ha ha." Zelda sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off her boots. "You had a bath."

"You say that like I never touch soap," he huffed. "I was covered in monster goop."

Zelda undressed. "How's Elana? I noticed a pretty big bandage on her. And why is she sharing the bed with Annie?"

"I'll start with where we left off. Elana was attacked after wandering off. The monster sliced her open down to the bone." Link sat next to Zelda. "Potions aren't healing it. I gave her one and it closed up the worst of it, but it's still open. And here's the weird part: when her blood hits the ground, it revives and sprouts grass."

"That makes sense being the heir to Erendiel." Zelda pulled on a bed shirt from her bag.

Link sighed.

"Oh stop."

He smiled. "Bot thinks the wound won't heal until she does."

"Great. We're screwed."

"You didn't find the egg?"

Zelda sighed. "No, but Lanayru told me where it was and Elana has to be the one to retrieve it." She yawned.

"Table it until breakfast?"

"Yeah." Zelda slid under the covers. The wolf jumped up and laid down next to her. She ran a hand through the fur. "I'm sorry to disappoint."

The wolf snorted.

"Soon, Link. So very, very soon."


	6. Chapter Six

The Serpent's Egg

By Nicolle

1st Note: After trying my hardest not to say one way or another if Sheik is male or female, I just ditched it in this chapter. I decided to refer to Sheik as a guy simply because all the canon material does. You can debate among yourselves if Sheik has Zelda's body under the uniform. Since Sheik's entire appearance is a spell cast using the Triforce, I'm pretty sure Zelda can be a guy or a girl whenever the heck she wants.

2nd Note: A couple of people have noticed that I haven't described Elana. Well, what I'm trying is an experiment. All of my betas, after reading the first chapter, were able to accurately describe what Elana looked like without me having to describe her. I'm willing to bet every person enjoying this fic can accurately describe all the extraneous characters without me writing a single description.

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda belongs to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. Thank you for letting your fans borrow them.

Chapter Six

Annie dug into the eggs with gusto. Link reached across the table four times to get her to slow down.

Bot eyed them both. "Haven't you been feeding her?"

"One day, Bot, you'll have kids and you'll find out that they all do this." Link grabbed Annie's hand again. "Slow down. You'll give yourself a belly ache."

"I'm hungry!"

"Yeah. Me too. Slow down."

Elana's plate lay untouched and she stared at Link. Zelda put a hand on her shoulder. "Eat up."

"You're wearing a wedding ring."

Link looked over at her. "That's because I'm married, Elana."

She looked at Zelda. "To you?"

Zelda held up her left hand and light glinted off the slim gold band.

"Do you have children?"

"We can't have children until Ganon has been sent back home with his tail between his legs. To do otherwise would put them at risk," Link answered.

"But you speak as if you had children already."

Zelda sat down with a plate. "We have, over many lifetimes."

"We reincarnate," Link supplied.

Elana perked up. "Really? Why?"

Link took a sip of tea. "Ganon doesn't die. With the Triforce of Power in his possession he is both ageless and deathless. But the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage do not confer such powers. In order for us to continue to fight, we must return."

"Though we don't always know each other or remember those past times," Zelda said. "Sometimes, we don't know who we are until a critical moment. In this lifetime, we're lucky enough to not only remember who we are, but most of our past lives as well."

"But you're always Princess Zelda, right?"

Zelda smiled. "Not always."

Elana frowned, puzzled. "Have you always been married?"

Link shook his head. "Some lifetimes we barely see each other all, but just long enough to fight Ganon."

"So why do you fight Ganon every lifetime?" Bot asked. "What's up with that?"

"Ganon wants the entire Triforce," Zelda said. "But he only gets one chance for every one lifetime of ours."

"So it's like an eternal dance," Bot mused.

"That makes it sound entirely too poetic," Link muttered.

Bot smiled wide. "So how are you not inbred?"

Elana gasped and Zelda laughed so hard her face turned red.

"Here's how it works, smart ass. Zelda's granddaughter or great granddaughter will be her reincarnation. I am born to a different family somewhere in Hyrule and sometimes even in a neighboring country."

Elana looked at Zelda, worried. "But doesn't that mean that the royal line is diluted?"

"As the line of Hyrule descends from myself, it is essentially eternal. And Link is almost always born to a family descended from the original Hylian Knights."

"So why don't you two take the Triforce of Power back?"

"We have," they both said.

Link huffed and Zelda sighed.

"Don't ask," they both mumbled.

"Okay." Bot pushed his plate back. "So what's the plan?"

Zelda sat down. "The Serpent's Egg is beneath Lake Zuron. We'll need to travel over the Crystal Mountains to get to the lake."

Link groaned. "Great. Monster filled mountains. Just what I wanted."

Zelda crossed her arms. "You act like this is unusual for you."

"That's the problem. It isn't."

"There's a passage through the mountains," Elana said.

Everyone looked at her.

Elana suddenly looked sheepish. "Whenever the next in line ascends the throne, we go to the shrine over the lake for the ceremony. I went there with my dad when he..." She trailed off staring at her plate as if she was trying not to think about something.

Bot cocked his head at Link. "See? Different."

"Trap filled dungeons are not different."

"Stop whining, Captain."

Link rolled his eyes. "Thank you for your continued support, Bot."

"Anytime, Captain."

Link sighed. "Stay put and find out a way to counter act the potion poisoner. Annie will stay with you. The rest of us will make our way to the shrine."

Elana hugged Annie on the porch, while the other three looked on.

"The curtain holding the undead out should last until I've stuck a sword through Ganon," Link said.

Bot nodded. "As soon as I find an antidote, I'll make sure Annie's safe, head into the city, and hide in the palace."

Link nodded and turned to Zelda. "Ready?"

Zelda held her hand over her face. The Triforce of Wisdom appeared in a brief flash and Sheik stood there. "Yes."

"Come on, Elana."

The girls gave each other one more fierce hug before the princess hurried over, waving backwards the whole time.

The road to the mountains seemed to stretch into forever. Elana drug her feet, every step slower than the last.

Sheik put an arm around her. "Going slower only delays the inevitable."

Elana stopped dead, eyes squeezed shut. "But Mom and Dad are..."

"Tears cannot bring our loved ones back to us."

She looked up at Sheik, cheeks tear stained. "What do I do? I'm not ready for this!"

"Ready or not, Elana, you are now the queen of Zoebha. A queen lives for her people and her people alone. The first and last duty of the queen is to serve them." Sheik gestured to the land. "Look. The world around you is falling. And only you have the power to reverse the dark fate your people will suffer."

"A touching speech, to be sure."

A man wearing the insignia of Zoebha's royal guard stood before them.

Elana stepped around Sheik. "Uncle Droz?"

Link stepped in front of Elana. "So, where were you when the bombs went off, Sir Knight?"

"If I were you, Hylian, I'd be more concerned about being charged with the kidnapping of Princess Elana."

Elana wiped her face with her sleeve. "He did no such thing! I'd be dead right now if he hadn't saved me."

"Exactly." Droz snapped his fingers and ten members of the royal guard ran forward from behind him. "Kill the strays."

Link readied his sword. "Get her out of here. I'll play distraction."

Sheik grabbed Elana and threw down a smoke bomb, disappearing in a cloud.

Link shot to the side, slamming one guard into the ground. A quick swing of his sword cut the man next to him off at the knees, literally. When number three tried to jump him, Link grabbed him by the shoulder and used the momentum to bowl over three more guards. The remaining four stood frozen.

"Kill him!" Droz snapped.

"There's Death in his eyes," one man whispered.

Link looked at the guard who spoke. "Run."

The remaining guards dropped their swords and split.

Link pointed his sword at Droz. "So, is this your typical, run of the mill, usurpation of power from the rightful heir?"

Droz pulled his sword. "I will NOT be subject to that little brat!"

"And you really think Ganon is helping you out of the kindness of his cold black heart? You're just another easily duped pawn." Link smiled. "But unlike your friends, I'm not going to let you run away."

"Don't think Elana has escaped."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure she has." Link flicked the blood from his blade. "The interesting thing about having to pull so many people over so many lifetimes off of my Queen's throne is that you develop quite a complex about usurpers."

Elana ran behind Sheik, keeping close. Something was following them, but she didn't know what and Sheik wasn't talking. They came up short next to a shrine marker and two paths.

"Which way?"

"The right one will take us directly to the passage, but the left one will take you to an entrance further in the mountains." She heard a noise Sheik didn't react too. "What is that?"

"The other Link."

Elana took Sheik's hand and squeezed it.

Sheik looked into the shadows. "You don't have anything to say?"

"Both ways are trapped. But inside the palace is a quick route to the shrine underneath the garden in the fountain."

Sheik threw up his hands. "How is that a quick route?"

"There aren't any traps, monsters, or unnecessary impediments."

Sheik sighed. "Hard way it is." Taking Elana's hand, they took the path on the left. Sneaking through the trees along the path, Sheik was thankful Elana hadn't complained. Several Gerudo and a few members of the royal guard milled around the path, looking utterly disgusted with each other. Sheik smiled. "Stay here and stay down."

Elana nodded and ducked low. Sheik picked up a few rocks and climbed into a tree. Finding a comfortable branch to sit on, he picked a rather disagreeable looking guard and beaned him in the shoulder.

"Hey! Who threw that?" He whirled on the nearest Gerudo. "Think your funny, Desert Scum?" He shoved the Gerudo and without another rock thrown, both factions were at each other's throats.

Sheik dropped back down to Elana. "Ready?"

Elana nodded. "You're good!"

"Link taught me that one." He offered his hand and the two by passed the mob for the second entrance. Taking a deep breath, Elana touched it and it opened. As soon as they stepped through the doorway, Sheik felt the spell go off. When the spell energy died, Sheik was standing in a room full of Gerudo and Elana was gone.


	7. Chapter Seven

The Serpent's Egg

By Nicolle

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda belongs to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. Thank you for letting your fans borrow them.

Chapter Seven

Bot poured the antidote into bottles while Annie put lids on them. He heard the front door open and turned just in time to get a knife in the side. A knock to the back of the head had him on the floor. The man grabbed a kicking and screaming Annie.

"Is this the one?"

A woman grabbed Annie's hair and pulled her head back. "This is the girl Ganon described. Take her to the palace."

The man kicked Bot. "What about him?"

"The poison will kill him and if he should wake up in time for a potion, it will kill him faster."

They dragged Annie out of the house and back to the palace, tossing her in a room with Elana. The girls hugged.

"Are you all right?" Elana asked.

Annie nodded. "Mr. Bot needs help."

Elana looked at the door. "So do we. There aren't any secret passages from this room."

Annie put her face against Elana's chest and cried. The princess held the child close and petted her hair. The door opened and Ganon strode in.

"What a happy little reunion!" He knelt in front of Elana. "Do you know why you're not dead yet?"

"You can't get the Egg. Only a blood member of the royal line can get it and Droz, being the widower of my late aunt, is not a blood relation."

"Correct. You will retrieve the Egg."

"I was going to do that anyway, Pig-face," the princess spat.

Ganon smiled. "And then you will give it to me."

"Bite me."

Ganon frowned and snapped his fingers. A member of the royal guard came forward and grabbed Annie.

Elana jumped at him. "No!"

Ganon grabbed her by the back of her tunic. "You will retrieve the Egg and give it to me, or I kill your little friend."

Elana went still, eyes cold. "If you hurt a hair on Annie's head..."

"Retrieve the Egg and she'll be safe and sound." Ganon jerked his head toward the door and the guardsman left. "I'll be back shortly to escort you to the shrine." He turned to the man and woman who brought Annie. "Keep an eye on her royal highness."

Ganon left the room and the door shut. Elana sank to the floor and put her head in her hands. The door swung open, knocking the woman to the floor. Before the man could draw a weapon a sword was sticking out of his chest.

"If you're going to kill someone, make sure they're dead," Bot said. He pulled his sword out of the man's chest and with a quick swing, cut off his head. The woman screamed and jumped at him. Bot threw the sword and it caught her in the chest. She sunk to her knees, coughing blood. The knight put a foot on the woman's chest and pulled his sword free. She fell face first to the floor.

"Bot!" Elana hugged him before pulling him to the door. "We have to get Annie."

Bot grabbed her shoulders. "Hold on, princess. Annie's right outside. I ran into her first."

Elana sagged, heavy with relief. "Then we have to go the garden. There's a way to the shrine under the fountain."

Bot nodded. "Stay close and quiet. There are way too many people here for me to fight my way through."

Elana nodded and hugged him again. Outside the door, Elana picked up Annie and followed Bot through the serving passages to the garden. The fountain was hidden in a small grove of trees, out of sight. Elana walked around it, but couldn't figure out how to move it.

"What happened to L and Z?"

"We ran into my Uncle Droz and some guards on the way to the shrine. Link stayed to distract them while Zelda and I ran for the passage entrance. When I opened the door, I was transported back to the palace."

"A trap."

"When I figure out how to get this open, head back to find the queen."

Bot shook his head. "Z can take care of herself. You and Annie are my priority."

"You sound like Link."

Bot smiled. "That's only because I hang out with him all the time. But seriously, Z will be all right."

Sheik was left in a prison cell to await Ganon, who was sure to be interested in the sudden appearance of the last of the Sheikah. A shadow separated itself from the wall.

"I love you like this. Your eyes like blood and your mind like death." The other's hand wrapped around the back of Sheik's neck and pulled him into a rough kiss. Sheik shoved the other away.

"I hate you like this."

He trapped Sheik against the wall. "That's lie and you know it." He leaned in, forehead against forehead. "Long ago, when I was still one, you lost me in the final battle. I didn't come back and you were ready to die in your despair. I died never knowing you loved me. You never told me and it broke you. In your wisdom you denied me and then spent the rest of your long life wondering if I'd have made the effort to survive if I knew your kiss awaited me."

"You were a pompous, arrogant fool," Sheik gritted out.

"And pure in my devotion. It's still pure."

"And it's willing to burn the world."

The other smiled. "That is not a willingness unique to only one half."

Sheik's face fell. He pushed the other way and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. "Is there anything else you want to defeat me with today?"

The other knelt in front of Sheik and turned his face up, revealing tears. He looked away, self-satisfaction gone. "Rivers from your eyes," he muttered. "Come with me."

"No."

The other folded his arms across his chest. "I don't have time to argue."

"Get Elana to the shrine. I will keep Ganon busy."

The other looked toward the shadows. "That will be cutting it close."

Sheik stood. "Get Elana to the shrine." He grabbed the other's hair and pulled their lips together in a quick kiss. "That's an order."

"As My Queen wishes." The other stepped into the shadows and out of a shadow in the garden. Elana stepped away from him, moving back toward Bot. The other said nothing, but pushed the release on the fountain, revealing the tunnel.

Elana picked up Annie and went to the entrance. She looked back at the other. "Is the queen all right?"

"Yes."

Elana nodded. Bot followed her into the tunnel, trying not to think about the other Link and what that meant.


	8. Chapter Eight

The Serpent's Egg

By Nicolle

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda belongs to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. Thank you for letting your fans borrow them.

Chapter Eight

Link stepped over Droz's body. Taking the path to the left, he came upon the bodies of several guardsmen and Gerudo. The door to the passage hung open.

"You're him, aren't you? The Hero of Time."

Link turned. A Gerudo warrior lay against a tree, bleeding out from a wound. Link knelt next to him. "If I give you a potion, will you stab me in the back?"

The Gerudo smiled ruefully. "If you gave me a potion, I would die faster."

"The poison."

The Gerudo nodded. "There was a spell on the door. It discharged when the door opened. I don't know who it caught, but it would have taken them back to the palace."

"You're being singularly helpful."

The Gerudo shrugged and then winced in pain. "I was supposed to stop you, but I'm not of much use like this."

"The wound is deep, but it won't kill you if it's sewn shut. Ganon is sure to have an antidote to his clever little killer. Lay back."

"You'd help an enemy?"

"Do you stay my enemy afterwards?"

"No."

"Then it makes sense for me."

After bandaging his patient, Link entered the passage. Not even the dust was disturbed. He reached into a shadow and pulled out the other.

"Where are they?"

"My Queen rests in the palace. The princess is on her way to the shrine."

"And?"

"It's not going to go well for her." The other dissipated and a soft chuckle filled the air. "Look out for the Gerudo. They're crawling all over the place."

The floor went out from under him and Link dropped into a room filled with Gerudo warriors. He rolled to his feet and readied himself.

A female Gerudo came forward. "For the Hero of Time, you really did take a while getting here."

Link sheathed his sword. "And who do I have the pleasure of speaking too?"

She smiled and cooed, "Ooh, Nabooru told us you'd be handsome, but she didn't mention you were so polite."

Link frowned. "Nabooru passed hundreds of years ago."

The woman stepped up to Link and walked around him slowly. "She left us her stories and we remember them well."

"And what exactly does that mean, Miss Coy?"

She smiled wide and leaned into him. "While we are not quick to honor debts, we will always honor the one we owe you. At least, those of us who don't serve Ganon." She sneered over the name. Stepping away and standing tall, she continued, "I am Wen and I have information on what he is doing. He plans to steal the Egg and use it to make himself the new royalty of Zoebha."

"But he didn't intend on the land dying."

Wen raised a finger. "No, but he is sure to use it to his advantage."

Link put his shield down and leaned against it. "Do you know the passage well?"

"We've been exploring it."

"Great. If you wanted to put someone through hell, where would you drop them?"

Wen's face suddenly went ashen. "There is a thing in here. It's intelligent. It killed four of us the first time we encountered it. It called us 'dinner.'"

"Par for the course," Link muttered. "Which way is the quickest to it?"

Wen shook her head.

"Princess Elana is likely somewhere in its vicinity. So I really need to be doing the hero thing about now."

"He talks a lot more than the stories mention," one of the Gerudo men whispered.

"Didn't feel like doing the silent type this lifetime. The way?"

Wen gestured to a tunnel going deep into the mountain. "The last we saw of it, it was down that passage, at the end."

Link nodded and headed into the passage. Nearly a mile down, the tunnel opened into a enormous and empty gallery. Link stopped at the edge and leaned against the wall, listening. The sound of a slight breath caught his ear. It was behind him.

He turned in time to have the other shove him off the edge of the passage. Reaching into his bag, Link pulled the clawshot and fired it into the rock ceiling, pulling himself back up to the tunnel entrance.

"Come on, you coward!"

The other hissed. "Only as much as you are."

Their swords locked and Link dropped his shield to grab the other by the tunic. "Let's dance." He rolled back and flung the other over the edge. Falling, the other dissipated in midair reappearing in a cave entrance across the gallery.

Link fired the clawshot into the stalactites and swung across. The other was flitting through the shadows. Link fired the clawshot. The other screamed when it hit him and dug in. Link pulled the other back.

"No playing, shadow-boy."

The other sneered and drew his sword. "I will not lose! Not this time!"

Link rushed the other, slamming him into a stalagmite. "What? Did you say something you regret?"

The other gritted his teeth and slashed at Link. Link jumped back and the other disappeared. Link paused, turning slowly to scan the gallery. A quick movement caught his eye and the clawshot pulled him to a high tunnel. Their swords clashed.

"What did you say to her?"

The other moved back slightly and rushed forward, sword point leveled for Link's heart. Link fell backward, letting the other rush over him. The other stepped over the edge and Link pounced, using the momentum of the fall to slam the other into the gallery floor. Unfazed, the other slammed his fist into Link's cheek and sent him sprawling. Link kipped up and their swords clashed again.

"What did you say to her?"

The other said nothing. He backpedaled when Link slammed him with a shield to the face. The other rounded about and was knocked off balance when Link mirrored him. Taking the opportunity, Link knocked the other's sword from his hand and pinned him to a stalagmite.

"What did you say to her?"

The other put two fingers to Link's forehead. Both shuddered at the contact and Link closed his eyes. The memory passed.

"You liar." Link slammed the other's head of the stalagmite. "How dare you?"

With renewed strength, the other pushed Link away and grabbed his sword. "I will not lose!"

Both screamed and they swung. Both swords hit home, but Link's pierced the other's heart. The other sank to his knees and looked up at himself.

"Make my apology for me."

Link pulled his sword free. "You arrogant idiot." He grabbed the other by the tunic and lifted him up. "I never wanted her to know what happened. Ever."

The other smiled before his eyes closed. "Now she has to know." The other turned black, sliding out of Link's hand. The shadow pooled around his feet before becoming his again. Link sank to the floor, hand holding the wound that opened over his heart.

"Oh sweet Farore, give me the courage to tell her."

The door to the throne room opened and Sheik was pushed into a room filled with Ganon's minions. Old Pig-Face himself stood in front of the throne. He turned with a smile.

Sheik summoned the Light Bow, knocked an arrow, and let it fly. The arrow arched around the room, going through every minion surrounding him. Ganon's jaw dropped. Sheik knocked another arrow and leveled it at him.

"You were about to monologue weren't you? Well, go on. I've been dying to hear it."

Ganon gritted his teeth. The power of the Triforce resonated through the room. It was there, waiting. All Sheik had to do was say yes and the Triforce of Power would rest with him. It would mean the end of Ganon. All Zelda had to do was reach out her hand. And the dark Queen would rise. She would stand at her throne while a shadow of her hero knelt before her, pure in his devotion and absolute in his hate. The man she spurned would return and her eyes would remain red until the end of time.

The tension snapped. A sword had found it's mark and a door had opened. Sheik smiled and threw a smoke bomb.

At the end of the tunnel stood a door. Elana set Annie down and opened it. She was immediately sucked in and the door slammed shut.

"Princess!"

"I'm all right!" Elana turned to the room. "I have to do this part alone." She walked toward a large stone slab.

Elana stood before the tomb of Eriendal Zoebha. She touched the cold marble and the light poured through the room, revealing the tombs of every heir to the throne. She walked down the hall, moving forward through history, each tomb covered with the great deeds of each king and queen. At the end stood the tomb of her parents. Hands shaking, she pushed on the slab covering the tomb. Within lay her parents, embracing. Elana sank to her knees and wept.

"My dinner has arrived."

Elana's heart went cold and she looked up. Two faces looked down at her; a hairless cat's and a human's, both a pasty blue with big yellow eyes. She backed up quickly and hit a marble pillar. The thing dropped down from the slab on all fours, but it's legs were twisted the wrong way. The human face on the thing twisted and changed, becoming... Elana.

Thing-Elana licked its lips. "To feast on an heir of Eriendal is a rare treat. There is magic in your blood. And that makes it sweet."

Elana scrambled to her feet and spun around the pillar as it pounced. She heard a sickening crack as it hit the pillar. Rounding the pillar, she grabbed the thing by its cat head and slammed it against the floor. It hissed at her and she kicked it in the face.

"I'm tired of this! You're not going to eat me and I'm not going to die here!"

The thing shook its heads. With a quick turn it rounded on her and knocked her flat. "You are trespassing on my domain."

"Trespassing?" Elana spit in its face. "This is the tomb of my ancestors!"

"These men and women were great rulers of incredible wisdom and goodness. And what makes you think you have any place here?"

She kicked at the thing and managed to hit the under belly. It groaned and rolled off of her.

"Maybe I don't. But you're not stopping me from finding the Egg."

The thing pounced again, pinning her to a tomb. Thing-Elana's face came close. "Finding the Egg will not produce a happy ending."

"Not for me, no."

The thing sat back like a cat. "You do not have the necessary knowledge to retrieve the Egg."

Elana crossed her arms over her chest. "Not my fault."

Thing-Elana leaned forward. "I will show you what you need to know." It touched Elana's forehead and her eyes rolled back. She woke up alone. Her tomb appeared in the royal line, though no carvings decorated its sides. Elana ran down the hall, shoving the door to the shrine open, and dove into the blue.


	9. Chapter Nine

The Serpent's Egg

By Nicolle

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda belongs to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. Thank you for letting your fans borrow them.

Chapter Nine

Zelda pushed Link's hair away from his face. "You look like hell."

"I did just beat myself to death."

She moved his hand from where it covered his heart and gasped at the wound. "He did this?"

"It's what I did to him."

She pressed his hand back to the wound and dug through his bag for a potion. "You never told me that this happened when you fought the other."

"There's a lot of things I don't tell you."

Zelda smiled softly. "We all have our secrets, Hero."

Link flinched. "This is one I shouldn't keep." He shifted a little to sit up straighter and grimaced at the pain. "I didn't die that lifetime."

Zelda froze. She sat back as he took her hands from the bag.

"I was such an idiot, so very selfish. I was the hero and I knew it. I was so arrogant, I opened my mouth without thinking. Your constant denials made me so unbelievably angry.

"And when I defeated Ganon, I knew there was one thing you didn't need anymore: me." Link's shoulders sank.

"I went to Lanayru and begged her to make me someone new, to make me forget. She told me that as Farore's chosen I could never be someone else. I could never forget, but she could give me another face. And with it I went back home.

"I used the rupees I gained from fighting Ganon to buy myself a dairy and settled into being a farmer. I met a woman who was nothing like you. Elsa wasn't as bright and beautiful as the sun, but she was sweet, and she loved me with all her heart."

Link sighed and looked down at the wound over his heart. "When our children were grown, Elsa asked me to take her to Hyrule. She wanted to see the grand country of legend. It was during that trip that I saw you again. You were standing on the balcony in your black gown. And when a passerby mentioned to Elsa that you wore it for me, I was elated. I wanted to dance in the streets.

"The selfish black thorn resting in my heart had finally turned it cold." He sighed. "When I took Elsa to Lanayru's shrine, everyone inside fell into a deep slumber. And Lanayru called to me. I went into the shrine and all three goddesses stood there: Din, Nayru, and Farore.

"Farore said that the Hero she had chosen could not harbor such coldness in his heart. To be so devoid of compassion for the woman he was chosen to protect was unacceptable. And from then on my heart would be tested for its eternal worthiness.

"Nayru drew all the darkness out of me, all of my arrogance and all of my fear, and it coalesced into the other." Link put his head down. "I hadn't picked up a sword in ages. I barely came out of the fight alive." He looked at Zelda. "Elsa said that I was different when we left the shrine. Like a great sorrow had lifted from my heart. She never knew I was the hero of Hyrule, but she always believed that some greatness rested within me, choked off by a normal life. And she was happy that I was so suddenly content."

Zelda sighed. "We both had a lot of growing up to do that lifetime." She leaned forward and whispered a healing spell over him. The warm glow closed the wound over his heart. "Why tell me now?"

"Because your tears can change my mind." Link took her hand. "It wasn't my place to remind you of a lifetime you would rather forget."

"Would you rather forget it?"

"No. Despite the coldness in my heart, it was still a pretty good life and better than I deserved."

"Then I shouldn't forget it either." Zelda sat next to him and put her head on his shoulder. "We had our time, wasted though it was. You can make it up to me this time around."

Link took her chin in his hand and tilted her face, revealing tears. "You are too good to me, m'lady." He kissed the tears from her eyes. "We should go find Elana."

Elana could see the surface of the water above her, but couldn't reach it. It seemed so far off and the Egg was so heavy for being so small. Her lungs gave out and she started to sink. The world took on a dreamy quality and she swung at the bubbles over her head. A hand plunged into the water, grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her out.

Elana fell to the floor of the shrine, coughing up water. Air burned its way into her lungs and she rolled to her side, shivering.

Bot pulled her up. "Come on, princess. We need to get you out these cloths before you freeze to death."

She nodded slowly and let Bot undress her. He helped her into a new tunic and wrapped her in a blanket before settling against the wall and cuddling her close. Annie curled up next to them.

Elana laid her head on Bot's chest and sighed. "Thank you."

"Isn't the dashing knight supposed to rescue the princess?"

Elana smiled. "So I'm told." She frowned. "The Guardian didn't bother you?"

"I didn't see a Guardian. The door opened when you opened that one. I came through just in time to see you dive."

She sighed.

"You have the Egg."

Elana looked at the Egg. It glowed from the inside and she could make out a serpent twisted around on itself inside the shell. She smiled sadly. "I guess I do."

Bot frowned. "Is it really that hopeless?"

"For me, yes." She patted Annie on the head. "But Annie will be fine."

"Why?"

She looked up at him. "Why what?"

"Why do you want to save Annie?"

Elana put an arm around Annie. "I always wanted a little sister."

"It's more than that."

"You're being really observant. Please stop."

Bot sighed. "Is there anything I can do?"

Elana looked up at him for a second and then laid her head back down on his chest. "I can think of a few things, but those things might make me falter." She put a hand on his chest, over his heart. "I haven't slept in two days. Will you hold me while I sleep?"

"As you wish, Elana."

She shivered and closed her eyes. The sound of laughter woke her. She was still in Bot's arms, but they were no longer in the shrine. The Egg rested in the crook of her arm. She took a deep breath and sat up. She looked around and saw Annie riding on the back of a wolf.

"Annie!"

Bot put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay."

The wolf jumped into the air and Link landed on his feet. Annie squealed. "Again!"

Link hopped with her on his back. "It'll have to wait, Sunshine. Elana's awake."

"Ahh." Annie gave him her best sullen look and he ruffled her hair.

Zelda knelt in front of Elana and touched her forehead. "How do you feel?"

"Okay."

"The Gerudo mentioned a Guardian. What happened to it?" Link asked.

Elana suddenly looked embarrassed. "I, uh… beat it up."

Link nodded. "Nice."

Zelda nodded and handed her a piece of leaf bread. "Good. What happens next?"

Elana took a bite of the bread. "I, um..." She watched Link chase Annie around a tree. She looked back to Zelda, determination renewed. "I need to get back into the throne room. The Guardian said I need to enact the ritual there."

Zelda frowned, but Bot beat her to the question, "Why do you need to the ritual in the throne room?"

She looked at her lap. "Because that's where mom and dad died."

"Ooh. Full on palace assault is different," Link said.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "We are not taking on Gannon's entire army via the front gate."

"No, 'we' aren't." He caught Annie and gave her a little toss into the air. "You and Elana are taking the passage into the garden and sneaking in the back. Bot and I take the front gate."

Bot huffed. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Link grinned wide. "Nah. I'm trying to kill both of us."

"That doesn't make me feel better."

Link's smile turned sly. "We are not going to fight an entire army. We are going to pick them off with a page out of Gannon's book."

"Bombs?"

"Bombs."


End file.
